If Found

Cookie Clean-Up

CHAPTER FIVE

Cookie Clean-Up

Thank you all for being so patient. It is taking me some time to get back into writing. My mind has been in a constant state of blank. I am doing my best to get back into this. Thank you all for being there and believing in me.

April

Sean's POV:

We walked quietly back to the room we shared as I watched my little brother, North, hold his hand protectively against him. I didn't want to look anyone in the eye, yet I furtively glanced at each of my brothers. Each wore frowns or pouts. Some were deeper than others. I Placed my hand on North's hand. I wished I could fix this for him. I don't like any of my brother's being in pain. It would sure make it easier.

Before I knew what was happening, North's words were flooding my brain. "How did you do that? What happened?"

I just looked at him, puzzled. North put his injured hand in front of me, except it wasn't. He had already removed the bandages. I looked everywhere, squeezing to see if any blood came out, but there was nothing except a tiny pink line. "I didn't do anything. I just wished I could fix it." By this time the others had come over to see what was going on.

"Remember what mean Doctor Devros said. He doesn't want to hear anything from us ever again." The whisper came from Owen, faint but a direct order from Owen.

APRIL, present time

North's POV:

"Help me!"

I shot up in bed drenched in a cold sweat. That voice haunting me yet again. I looked around the room I slept in, searching for my brother, Luke. When I saw a light shining faintly under the door, I realized where my brother had gone. Using our mind link, I hollered at him, "Luke! Put the cookies away!" Sure enough I heard the jar drop and inevitable crash. Sighing hard, I got up and pulled a pair of lounge pants on.

An answer came back through, "North, Uncle is going to get upset at the fact that he has to keep replacing the cookie jars every week."

As I entered the kitchen, I decided to speak to him. "If the cookie thief would just keep his mitts off the chocolate chips, then we wouldn't have to worry. Go and grab the broom and dust pan. I'll help with the clean-up this time."

Luke was still down on his haunches, picking bits of cookie out of the clay that was in pieces on the floor. He looked up at me and pouted with a piece of chocolate smeared outside of his lip. "So much is going to be wasted though."

He was seriously going to cry. "Then steal carrot sticks! Now get the broom!" He fell backwards on his bottom before standing up to look me in the eyes.

"North?" He was back in my head again. "What has you agitated tonight other than my nightly sugar binge, little brother?"

"Just get the stuff. It was a nightmare and nothing more."

"North, they're never just nightmares. When are you going to talk about it?"

Our mind link was opened once more, "We don't talk about that. Ever. End of story." As Luke finished picking the last edible pieces of cookie out of the mess on the floor, I went ahead and grabbed the broom and dustpan from the closet. As I returned, he was carefully piecing the cookies together like tiny puzzles. What made it worse is that he was speaking to them as if they were alive.

"It's okay my little sugar coated dumpling. I'll fix you right up and make it all better. Then we can sneak away where no one will find us." He licked his lips as his eyes twinkled a bit in the dim light of the kitchen.

I cleared my throat as I didn't want to encroach on his personal cookie time, but I was a little uncomfortable at the sparks I was witnessing. The bad thing about sneaking up on Luke? He disappears. No, I'm not talking about just running off, I am talking about flat out disappearing. Being his brother, I could usually sneak up on him or spot him, but sometimes it was absolutely impossible to see him. Especially if he didn't want to be found. He had his cookies, I had the broom and dustpan, and he was gone. In the blink of an eye, gone.

"Lucian Taylor! You do have to sleep at some point, and I will find you." I waited for a reply through our mind link, but heard nothing. That is the one thing he feared from me. I could always find him in our dreams.

Yet again I was left with cookie clean-up, and pondering that nightmare. Whose voice had invaded my dreams so insistently?